MILITARY PRECISION | A series of screenshots from a security camera at the residence of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo (upper left photo) shows six gunmen wearing Army uniforms and bulletproof vests casually entering his compound in Pamplona town on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, before shooting him and other people, then withdrawing with military precision. Three of the alleged killers were arrested later in the afternoon (right photo). (Photos from the Facebook page of Roel Degamo and from contributors)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed that the government would hunt down all those responsible for the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, one of his close allies and the second provincial chief violently attacked since he took office last year.
Degamo was shot by one of six men wearing Army uniforms and bulletproof vests who entered his residential compound in Pamplona town as he was meeting with beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and local officials on Saturday morning, a witness told the Inquirer.
The four-time governor, who was to turn 57 in April, died in the hospital less than two hours later. Eight other people were killed, and 16, including three provincial officials, were wounded in the carnage that was carried out 鈥渨ithout hesitation,鈥� police said.
鈥淢y government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice,鈥� the president said in a statement.
Marcos said the investigation of the attack was 鈥渄eveloping rapidly鈥� and that authorities had received 鈥渕uch information and now have a clear direction on how to proceed to bring to justice those behind this killing.鈥�
鈥淚 am warning all those involved in this killing: you can run but you cannot hide,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e will find you. If you surrender now it will be your best option,鈥� he told the perpetrators.
Three suspected gunmen were arrested in the afternoon, police said.
Widow seeks justice
In a Facebook live video, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, who is the governor鈥檚 wife, said her husband died at 11:41 a.m., while being treated at Negros Polymedic Hospital in Sibulan town.
鈥淕overnor Degamo does not deserve that kind of death. He was serving his constituents on a Saturday, along with his department heads,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hope the national government will be serious in seeking, pursuing justice for my husband. My appeal is to give my husband the justice he deserves.鈥�
Dauin Mayor Galic Truita told reporters that Degamo was shot on the right side of his body, and one bullet slammed into his heart.
The fatalities included Degamo鈥檚 videographer Michael Fabugais, 4Ps beneficiary Jessie Bot-ay, the governor鈥檚 driver Jerome Maquiling, driver-bodyguard Crispin Vallega, and provincial hospital driver Jomar Canseco.
The officials who were wounded were Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Marlo Quilnet, and Provincial Social Welfare Officer Rosa Banquerigo.
Casual entry
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said the gunmen arrived around 9:30 a.m. aboard three vehicles 鈥� a Mitsubishi Pajero with plate number NQZ 735, a green Isuzu pickup with plate number GRY 162, and one black Mitsubishi Montero with plate number YAP 163.
A member of the governor鈥檚 staff, who declined to be identified, said that the men armed with assault rifles were let in by a guard who assumed that they were there to join the governor in his regular Saturday service caravan at his home in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona.
Video taken by a security camera at the governor鈥檚 residence showed the gunmen entering the compound and surveying the crowd as if looking for Degamo.
Then, they opened fire simultaneously at several targets.
A witness said one targeted the guards, several shot at the crowd and one went after Degamo.
Coordinated exit
The killers were seen withdrawing in a coordinated manner with military-like precision after bursts of gunfire lasting about 30 seconds.
One capitol employee said she thought there were fireworks 鈥渁nd then everyone hit the ground.鈥�
鈥淲hen we became aware of the situation, we found that the governor was already bleeding,鈥� she said.
The gunmen fled toward Bayawan City where the vehicles were later found abandoned in Barangay Cansumalig.
3 suspects nabbed
Bloodstains were found in the cars, indicating that the governor鈥檚 bodyguards could have returned fire at the attackers.
Hours later, police arrested three suspects 鈥� two former government soldiers and a man whose possible links to the military were not immediately established.
The former soldiers were identified as Joric Labrador, 50, and Joven Aber, 42. The third suspect was identified as Benjie Rodriguez, 45.
Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7, said officers seized a .45-caliber pistol, ammunition, and identification cards from the suspects.
Pelare said authorities located the three suspects in the same village where the getaway vehicles were abandoned, about 60 kilometers from Pamplona by car.
He said the Philippine Army was assisting the police in the pursuit operation.
According to Pelare, Degamo had been receiving 鈥渧alidated鈥� death threats 鈥渕onths before,鈥� prompting the regional police to increase the number of his bodyguards, including military personnel, but he did not say how many they were.
4th victim in 2 weeks
He said the attack 鈥渨as really a deliberate plan to overcome the security detail鈥� of the governor.
Degamo was the latest and fourth victim in a series of armed attacks against local government officials over the past two weeks.
Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal 鈥淏ombit鈥� Adiong Jr. survived the first attack on Feb. 17; Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda died in an ambush on Feb. 19; and Mayor Ohto Montawal of Datu Montawal town, Maguindanao del Sur province, also survived an attack on Feb. 22.
The assassination followed a Supreme Court decision released on Feb. 14 confirming Degamo鈥檚 victory in the May 2022 gubernatorial race against former Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves, who was forced to step down.
He was among the governors who supported Marcos in last year鈥檚 presidential election. He traveled to Bulacan to attend the proclamation rally of Marcos at the Philippine Arena in February last year.
鈥楧angerous times鈥�
Marcos won in Negros Oriental in the May presidential elections with 254,806 votes. Former Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who was supported by Teves, received 218,511 votes and former Vice President Leni Robredo got 178,236 votes.
Before the high court decided last month on his electoral protest against Teves, he took his oath as governor before the president at Malaca帽ang on Oct. 5 last year after the Commission on Elections proclaimed him as the new Negros Oriental governor.
On his social media accounts, the president on Saturday posted photos of him and Degamo, including one during last year鈥檚 election campaign.
Degamo had been extra cautious, traveling in a bulletproof vehicle and changing routes in land trips in the wake of the alleged killings of several of his supporters. Siaton Mayor Fritz Diaz said Degamo once called his attention for not using a bulletproof car.
鈥淭he governor told me that these are dangerous times and we should be careful at all times,鈥� Diaz told the Inquirer.
He said Degamo鈥檚 killing was politically motivated.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to say it, but we all know the motive. We can even determine the motive with our eyes closed,鈥� Diaz said.
Degamo was serving his fourth term as governor, including one term as successor to Gov. Agustin Perdices, who died in January 2011.
鈥淕od gave me this post,鈥� he often told his supporters.
Threat assessment
Degamo鈥檚 assassination came despite directives from both Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to assess the threats against local officials and to provide elected and appointed officials in the country鈥檚 17 regions enough security following the three earlier attacks.
Abalos directed the PNP to launch a regionwide pursuit operation in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental 鈥渢o immediately arrest all these criminals.鈥�
鈥淩est assured that we will not stop until this case is resolved as well as the other ambuscades that occurred in recent days. We will quickly get to the bottom of this,鈥� he said.
The PNP said that all available resources would be used to arrest all those involved.
鈥淭he PNP will solve this case just like other heinous and sensational cases before,鈥� it added.
Speaker Martin Romualdez said 鈥渢he force of the whole government鈥� would be used to go after those involved.
He called on Abalos, Azurin, and the military 鈥渢o get to the bottom of this crime and root out the perpetrators of this crime.鈥�